Keeping up with the Joneses is never easy — especially if the Joneses can outwork you, outspend you, and shout louder than you can. And if you’re vying for attention in a crowded online market, things aren’t getting any easier.

Out of 21 organizations we spoke with, only 1 does not have a designated social media person — neither part- nor full-time.

This means 20 of the 21 top nonprofits in the social media realm are paying at least one person to work part-time on their inbound marketing efforts. Some employ more than one person. Some employ those people full-time. And all of them want to ensure that their investments lead to results, so they’re willing to spend more money and allocate more resources toward reaching their organization’s goals.

Can you?

If not, here are five off-the-wall tips for maximizing the usefulness of your own inbound marketing — whether you’re competing against the social efforts of part-timers, full-timers, or an army of rabid devotees…

Let’s say you’re driving to the mall and, while you’re stopped at a red light, something bright and colorful catches your eye. You look across the street and see a giant inflated gorilla balloon, surrounded by multicolored streamers, all billowing from the roof of a mattress outlet store.

And, of course, you immediately think to yourself, “I need a mattress, now.”

Right?

Well… probably not.

At best, that gorilla balloon might draw your attention to the fact that there is a mattress store at that intersection. But unless you’re already in the market for a new mattress, you probably don’t think you need one now, and seeing a giant inflated gorilla isn’t going to change your mind.

So why do mattress stores (and used car lots, and thrift stores, and antique shops, and…) use garish outdoor displays to get your attention?

No, not that time she insisted you should be paranoid about tagging photos of yourself at “all the wrong parties,” or how you should never let strangers know that you aren’t home. (Although, hey, be smart.)

She was right about asking other people for help.

See, when you were a kid and you couldn’t accomplish something at school, your mother didn’t tell you to give up, did she?

No, she told you to ask for help. Maybe from a teacher, maybe from a classmate, but always to focus on improving, rather than quitting.

It turns out your mom was right about that — and the smartest nonprofits on Facebook are the ones who remembered what their mothers told them.

Your business lives and dies by the number of qualified leads (or potential customers) you can find.

Is your business already generating enough leads? If you’re anything like most of the business owners and executives I speak with, the answer is no.

What would it do for your business growth if your website was providing you with a consistently increasing flow of qualified leads? Or with lead intelligence that can help you decide where to best spend your sales efforts?

We study all kinds of social marketing campaigns — from companies, non-profits, artists and more. While we’ve seen campaigns big and small, cast wide and extremely focused, there are some universal tips that apply to any strategy you’re planning for your new customer outreach.

Often, it all boils down to getting the little things right.

Here are three examples of common sense outreach tips that your brand would be wise to adopt.

Specifically, it’s about telling the right story to the right person at the right time.

As a storyteller, you must focus on the needs of your audience. This will determine the appropriate channels (TV, direct mail, social media, etc.) for any particular story.

These eternal truths also help to explain why inbound marketing is so powerful. Inbound marketing, when done correctly, tells your audience the stories that matter to them at the time and place of their choosing, about the products and services they need, want, or choose to support.

But is inbound marketing just as formidable for nonprofits? Absolutely. And here’s why:

Maybe your sales are up. Maybe you have a few new Facebook fans or YouTube subscribers. Maybe people are tweeting positive vibes about your brand.

All of that is a good thing, right? Well, sure.

But how do you really know if your inbound marketing is working?

Beth Kanter, a longtime champion of social integration in the nonprofit world, makes a compelling case for thinking differently about the ROI (return on investment) of your digital media. Instead of focusing on the return, Kanter advocates measuring the change.